History Main / EurekaMoment

* ''ComicBook/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica'': Used in the OriginsEpisode story for Creator/GrantMorrison's ''ComicBook/JLA1997''. Starro has taken over a tower filled with people along with ComicBook/TheFlash (ComicBook/WallyWest). A temporary team, comprised of the rest of Morrison's first line up -- ComicBook/{{Superman}}, ComicBook/{{Batman}}, ComicBook/WonderWoman, ComicBook/{{Aquaman}}, ComicBook/MartianManhunter and ComicBook/GreenLantern (Kyle Rayner) -- have gathered, only for ComicBook/TheSpectre to step in and tell them "no". After being shown a BadFuture, Batman decides to go in alone. When the Spectre isn't stopping Batman, Spectre points out that Batman is only human, that Starro is aiming for metahumans. Superman realizes that the answer is right there and asks Spectre to strip them of their powers so they can aid Batman.

** Shinohara actually gets two of these in the film. The second comes when they learn that the evil genius who created the program had a plan to make all the robots in Tokyo to go crazy at once & are trying to figure out what could cause enough ultrasonic waves to make it happen. When a whistling tea kettle causes a nearby figurine in a glass case to shake they realize it's sympathetic vibrations in skyscrapers caused by the wind. Fortunately, it'd take a mind-bogglingly huge building & incredibly powerful winds for a city-wide disaster to occur. Unfortunately a giant factory complex has just finished construction in Tokyo Bay & a record-breaking typhoon is due to hit in three days...

** Invoked by [[GeniusDitz Cameron]] by snapping his headband back if he's in a pinch during a Pokemon battle. It doesn't always work though.
* In ''Literature/SuperCub'', Koguma is busy trying to find a cheap way of protecting her eyes, since she can't afford a helmet with a face shield, when she sees a man cleaning her school's library with a protective face mask and goggles. She then realizes goggles are [[BoringButPractical a cheap but practical solution.]]
* In ''VisualNovel/{{Utawarerumono}}'' (the visual novel), Hakuoro studies a strand of Mutikapa's fur in frustration, unable to explain why the creature fled the previous night when it had him and Eruruw in its grasp. Unable, that is, until Eruruw drenches him and the fur in tea and this trope ensues.

** ''VisualNovel/NineHoursNinePersonsNineDoors'',

* In ''Homescapes'' a clue to the mystery Austin and William are trying to solve is the word "Richard" engraved inside a suit of armor with a missing breastplate. When Olivia mentions that she'd like to visit the botanical gardens because flowers touch her heart, William realizes that the Richard in question is Richard the Lionheart.

* OncePerEpisode in ''Literature/VickyTheViking'', Vicky and his crew of Vikings will be stuck in some terrible dilemma. Vicky will rub his nose for a bit, then inspiration for the resolution will strike.

* In ''VisualNovel/{{Utawarerumono}}'' (the visual novel), Hakuoro studies a strand of Mutikapa's fur in frustration, unable to explain why the creature fled the previous night when it had him and Eruruw in its grasp. Unable, that is, until Eruruw drenches him and the fur in tea and this trope ensues.
* Arguably the entire point of ''Manga/YakitateJapan'', but applied to making bread. For example, one of these moments leads to the creation of Kazuma's "sushi-style" melon bread.

* Togusa gets two of these moments, early in the first season of ''Anime/GhostInTheShellStandAloneComplex'', and in both of them, he's in a bathroom, looking at the mirror. In the second, the mirror is crucial: He realizes that, from the batch of pictures he's examining, all of them show a mirror or other reflective surface, but [[spoiler:the camera]] isn't visible in any of them.
** In fact, this is basically his main schtick. It's one of the reasons he's one of Section 9's most effective members; he's ''really'' good at putting the pieces together.
* Occurs in ''Anime/PatlaborTheMovie''. Our heroes are trying to find out what's causing some HumongousMecha with a new OS to go out of control. While taking a break while the investigation seems to be leading nowhere, Noah sees a dog barking at something they can't see & mentions they can hear things humans can't, cluing Shinohara in to the fact that ultrasonic waves are the culprit.
** Shinohara actually gets two of these in the film. The second comes when they learn that the evil genius who created the program had a plan to make all the robots in Tokyo to go crazy at once & are trying to figure out what could cause enough ultrasonic waves to make it happen. When a whistling tea kettle causes a nearby figurine in a glass case to shake they realize it's sympathetic vibrations in skyscrapers caused by the wind. Fortunately, it'd take a mind-bogglingly huge building & incredibly powerful winds for a city-wide disaster to occur. Unfortunately a giant factory complex has just finished construction in Tokyo Bay & a record-breaking typhoon is due to hit in three days…
* Naru has these regularly in ''Manga/GhostHunt'', usually due to an offhand comment from Mai.

* Happens twice in ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'', within the same scene. When trying to decipher a code [[spoiler:from Scar's brother's notes, the group takes a break to reassemble Al who is in pieces, like a puzzle. May rips the bindings of the notes and with Scar and Marcoh's help reassemble it to see the nationwide transmutation circle (which Ed and Al figured out beforehand). When trying to think there was a silver lining in this, Yoki sneezes and causes the papers to shift. They're annoyed that the papers have been 'flipped over', and Al comes to his realization that the papers needed to be turned over to see the other half of the hidden message: a ''second'' transmutation circle [[ChekhovsGun which can be used to reverse the effects of the first]]]].
* Vegeta gets one during the final battle against Buu in ''Anime/DragonBallZ''. When Goku doesn't have the energy to push the Spirit Bomb to destroy Buu, Vegeta tries to get Mr. Satan to talk the people of Earth into giving more energy, and Mr. Satan refuses, because it would probably kill them (as they had already donated their energy to form the Spirit Bomb in the first place). Vegeta angrily points out that if it wasn't for his plan to use the Namekian Dragon Balls to wish back Earth and its people, they'd all still be dead... and then Vegeta realizes that they still have a wish left, which they use to restore Goku's energy.
* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' has more than a few of these when trying to learn new jutsus.
** When learning the Rasengan's rotation step, which involves bursting a water balloon, he struggles with getting the water to rotate in the desired fashion until he happens upon a cat batting one of his water balloons around. He gets the idea of using his other hand to start the rotation, and quickly masters the step.
** When Naruto's learning the Rasenshuriken, an advanced form of the Rasengan that also involves adding wind element chakra into the Rasengan, Naruto, who already needs a Shadow Clone to handle the "control" step of the Rasengan, complains that adding the wind chakra is like looking left and right at the same time. Kakashi then summons a Shadow Clone to show Naruto how he can do that, inspiring Naruto to add an additional clone to do just that.
** Late in Naruto's Sage Mode training, Naruto, struggling with how to use sage chakra in battle when he has to sit still in order to gather it, hears the previous "look left and right" phrase again, and comes up with the plan to have a Shadow Clone gather sage chakra.
* DoubleSubverted during the Culture festival arc of ''Manga/KaguyaSamaLoveIsWar'' when a PhantomThief steals all the extra heart shaped balloons class 2-B had and then leaves behind a clue to their next target that has a bunch of clock faces on it. Fujiwara seemingly sovles it when Erika makes a comment about the sun setting earlier in the winter (making her come to the conclusion that the different times on the clocks corrospond to timezones). When she runs off to the computer lab for further information, Kaguya mentions to Hayasaka that Fujiwara was probably just making stuff up, but a comment that she made about how "all mysteries exist to be solved" caused her to figure out the ''actual'' answer. [[spoiler:[[UnwinnableByDesign Namely that there isn't one]]. Shirogane just threw a bunch of meaningless symbols together to keep the riddle loving [[SpannerInTheWorks Fujiwara]] distracted so she wouldn't interfere with his GrandRomanticGesture to Kaguya.]]
* In ''Literature/SuperCub'', Koguma is busy trying to find a cheap way of protecting her eyes, since she can't afford a helmet with a face shield, when she sees a man cleaning her school's library with a protective face mask and goggles. She then realizes goggles are [[BoringButPractical a cheap but practical solution.]]
* In the ''Anime/ExDriver'' film, after they are captured on Wang Somin's orders, Angela Gambino tells Souichi Sugano that she rigged a car to crash when they first met and later made an exploding AI cleaning car severely damage the track, all in an effort to ultimately stop her father Rico from gambling on the race.
* In ''Manga/MisterAjikko'', whenever Yoichi is unsure about what to do to solve his culinary problems at hand, expect him to encounter something seemingly unrelated that will inspire and lead him to a needed solution soon afterwards.
* In ''Manga/TheKindaichiCaseFiles'', whenever Kindaichi feels stuck trying to deduce a murder plot, something seemingly unrelated soon jolts him into the realization that will help him to solve the case at hand.
* In the ''Anime/{{Moldiver}}'' episode "Intruder", Mirai Ozora is cornered by the Machinegal Dolls in their Super Doll uniforms. However, she quickly deduces [[spoiler:the suits are partly protected by a psuedo-molecule as opposed to the Moldiver suit, which is fully protected by said molecule]] and comes up with a plan to take the Dolls down.

* ''Fanfic/OnceUponAStudioVersionTwoPointOh'': While watching the botched first attempt at the group photo from inside, Cinderella and Rapunzel discreetly admit that ''regardless'' of whether or not Goofy was chosen to take the photo, a mishap of some kind was pretty much inevitable, as while everyone was bright and chirpy prior to Goofy's accident, there was no doubt an air of unimaginable pressure regarding such a truly epic milestone. Cinderella, however, [[PluckyGirl remains optimistic that they'll find *some* way to turn it around.]] She, Rapunzel and Moana, along with their respective Princes and a few other characters then head downstairs as quickly as possible in an effort to help make the group photo a reality. On the way downstairs, she quickly gives Rapunzel [[ThatRemindsMeOfASong an idea to lift everyone's spirits]]; playing the one tune that defines Disney more than any other. [[WesternAnimation/{{Pinocchio}} "When You Wish Upon a Star"]].

* ''Fanfic/OnceUponAStudioVersionTwoPointOh'': While watching the botched first attempt at the group photo from inside, Cinderella and Rapunzel discreetly admit that ''regardless'' of whether or not Goofy was chosen to take the photo, a mishap of some kind was pretty much inevitable, as while everyone was bright and chirpy prior to Goofy's accident, there was no doubt an air of unimaginable pressure regarding such a truly epic milestone. Cinderella, however, [[PluckyGirl remains optimistic that they'll find *some* way to turn it around.]] She, Rapunzel and Moana, along with their respective Princes and a few other characters then head downstairs as quickly as possible in an effort to help make the group photo a reality.